The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-09-16


4 u. Louis Lady ~ very nGodernte ns.as
LAYS ciatm,nn<l Not without some Hlsow
% Reason. - Most ~ tho Land IN
which cnrondelet 4 Buiit-frospscesv
Litigation.
6r. LOUIS, Sept. 7.-"Here am I, work ing
day and night TO support my family, and
land that Carondclet h built ON. My poor
hoy Il working his life out at the Missouri
furnace for $l.25 . day while the ground
that II stands ON q IN reality nina"
This was ths astonishing assertion that
Mrs. Sophia Courtos made 20 : report.
o. this morning. He was tempted 20 doubt
her sanity for Time
ssIIasnt tho furnace company : deed FOR
the lands" he asked.
"Only quit-claim from August q.
Marsh, who sold 10 eighteen years ago. He
said he owned Il, and sold Il for 500. hut
that's trifiing part Of my claim. have
twenty-seven acres willed me from my
mother, Sophia Courtois. II Il Just north
Of Carondelet park. Tho railroad com.
pany got possession Of that from q. Morti.
mer, TO whom rented II. They hold u
now AMI defy me.
"The Missouri furnace Il the northeast
corner OF my claim" the lady continued,
land the twenty-seven acres IL the north.
west. have the only deed that exists 10
thirty-dve square miles OF the land I'm .
compact body from those two points south
and east TO the river. No warranty deed
can be given for any part Of IL, but from
me, and have never given one-"
s'Have you deed to ity'
sNot United States deed. That has
never been given. But first II Is mine by
right Of will made TO my husband by
Louis Courtois, and fled in the Probate
Court forty-hve years ago. II was wiled
TO him by his grandfather, also named
Louis Courtois. The latter held IL by vir-
tue Of . grant and letters patent from
toinette, in consideration Of military serv-
ices. He was commander OF the troops at
Fort st. Louis during the frontier wars"
s'When this section was secured BY the
United States through the Louisiana pur-
chase, in 1903, Thomas Jefferson himself
secured TO Mr.. Courtois . new recognition
Of the grant by personal influence.
"Perhaps you don't believe this said
Mrs. Courtois. II will show you the
papers,"
She opened an old closet. From it,
dusty recesses was drawn an old, time
worn trunk. This she unlocked. Then
she drew therefrom . bundle Of musty
parchments and papers.
They were yellow with age and soiled
by handling. Ono was rs bulky as the
noted omnibus bill. Il bore the royal seal
OF the house Of Bourbon.
The heur-de-lis in white field Is still
discernibIe, Is il also the later tri-color Of
La vendee origin. On something like .
modern bill-head appears the following
In French:
From His Royal Majesty Louis XVI TO his
faithful soldier Marshal Louis Courtois greet
ing:
Know ana respect the hand and seal Of my
court all loyal subjects Of the House Of Or
leans. For the valiant defense OF Fort St
Louis on the 9th OF August. i77S against the
savages make grant 20 Marshal Louis Cour-
tots, Of six t6) leagues Of territory as ho may
select in one body about Fort st. Louis front.
ting the Mississippi This Il 70 be held BY his
heirs during all time. Properly given BY my
hand this 9TH day Of July, Ammo Domini 159i,
1T Roucn.
(sEALl LOUIS AuGUsrE, XVI.
Dauphin and King OF France.
kings secretary, NJ. Tollendal, and Attest
ed BY Marquis Lafayette. Before II II an
oil painting showing rude fort surround.
ed by skulking Indians and defended by
French soldiers. The surrounding country
IL easy to recognize o that Of st. Louis.
There are also letters, valuable chiefly a.
souvenirs, from the fugitive, Tallyrand,
and also his enemies, Robespierrc and the
first Napoleon.
From the latter IL also . recognizance Of
the Orleans grant and promise Of protec-
tion, dated 1703, i've years after tho flrst
French Empire had fallen The conhrma-
tion Of the title by Jefferson Il dated March
q, 1905, fourteen days after his second in
auguration and two years after the Louis
| lana purchase was contaminated.
| Mrs. Courtois viii bring suit soon. She
has been deferred by lack Of means. A
| wealthy syndicate, she says, has advanced
the necessary cash. She has employed
lawyers before, but they have acted .
suspiciously that she has doubted their
4 earnestness.
| As 10 the genuineness Of her papers
I there IL believed TO be little doubt. Even
4 the statute Of limitations can mot AFFECT
4 them.
| The property in question comprises all
4 Of Carondelet south Of Kansas avenue.
/ It's value il variously estimated from So.
| 100000 TO 100000, 000
4 st. Joseph's College, the Western Steel
WOIk9s 0lcuu1t8 HiNC WWkSs Wl5SO0tt
! Furnace, Jupiter Rolling Mill, CarondeIet
| FIGURING Mill and an extensive chemical
factory are built on the claim. II also in
wolves two city parks, not TO mention
miles Of business houses and residences.
Klsusman's immense brewery 10 on the
disputed tract
A number Of willis appear on the records
Of the Probate Court, being always from
Louis Courtois 70 Louis Courtos, Jr.
They all vaguely describe large body Of
land.
1 g. Louis Exposition.
ST. LOUIS, Sept. e.-The fourth, and by
all odds the greatest and finest Exposition
held in this city, was opened ct eight
O'Clock last evening. There were
twenty thousand visitors in A.
tendance. The displays were handsomes
and costlier than ever before. Already